Death Wish
by ScreamingCacti51
Summary: Hiccup and Astrid have always been able to protect one another in the chaotic world of dragons and dragon hunters. Could it all change when Viggo makes his boldest move yet: a poison that pushes the strongest to their weakest point? Hurt, comfort, angst, fluff, torture, repeat. Hiccstrid. Set in RTTE. Begins a year after the events of Blindsided, but deviates from the show after.
1. Fire

**Hello! This is a story I've been meaning to write for a while. Depending on how reviews go, it may end sooner than planned, but it will definitely not end on a cliffhanger. I am open to suggestions, comments, and questions, so please feel free to review and fav and let me know what you think!**

 **These first two chapters will be a prologue as a warm up. Just some fluffy Hiccstrid. If you came in particular for the angst/hurt/comfort, might I interest you in...Chapter 3 onwards? Enjoy!**

It was just another typical day on the Edge.

Snotlout was falling over Hookfang, Fishlegs was reading a book, and the twins were Thor knows where. Hiccup was in his hut, working on his newest invention, a belt lined with Monstrous Nightmare gel, when Astrid appeared at his doorway.

"Hey, I'm going to train in the woods for a bit. See you tonight at dinner!" Astrid flashed a smile as she walked off.

"Uh, I-, sure, I- yep, sounds good!" Hiccup turned around and sheepishly smiled, caught off guard by his girlfriend's sudden appearance. Astrid chuckled and walked off, ax over her shoulder.

Wow, it had already been 2 years. Hiccup couldn't believe it. It seemed as though it had been just a few weeks ago that Astrid and he had begun their relationship. Aside from the dates they shared, not much had changed. Since they had gotten to the Edge, the two had always been fiercely protective of each other. They knew how to read each other. He had thought that friends couldn't get much closer. Their relationship had only made their affection grow, no doubt. Hiccup smiled to himself, wondering how lucky he was.

000

Hiccup stared again at his blueprints. Where had he gone wrong? The measurements weren't adding up, and his patience was growing thin. He figured a couple hours had passed. Astrid would probably be on her way back soon. A wide-eyed Fishlegs appeared at his doorstep.

"Ah, Fishlegs. Great to see you. You know where-"

"Hiccup, there's not much time. The twins were blowing up stuff as usual but they went too far this time." Fishlegs gulped. "Forest fire."

 _Astrid._

Time slowed down. "C'mon bud!" Hiccup called for Toothless and took off in a matter of seconds. They shot towards the forest, now a raging inferno.

000

Astrid threw her ax at yet another tree. Something about the training strategy was both calming and useful to her. Her accuracy was deadly and the satisfaction of throwing an ax was unmatched. She glanced over at Stormfly, who had quickly grown bored and had become determined to make her trainer aware. The dragon crowed and rolled around. Astrid grinned.

"Aw, it's okay, girl. Just a little bit longer. Go ahead and fly around." Stormfly crowed and eagerly took off, spiraling upwards.

Astrid sighed and looked back at her handiwork. The trees in the surrounding area had all been well-marked. As she prepared another throw, she heard an annoyingly familiar voice.

"Hey, watch this!" The twins were spiraling above the treetops shooting off fireballs left and right.

"No fair! It was my turn!"

Astrid groaned and looked up to chastise them, when all of a sudden a fireball sent the tree in front of her into flames. Astrid flew backwards, sprawling onto the ground. She struggled for a brief moment to get up, and the world had transformed into a disorienting flame. She tried to reply as she heard Stormfly shriek from above, but the smoke clogged her voice. She began to run. The flames poisoned each breath she took and burned at her skin with each step she took.

 _Hiccup._

And the world went black.

000

Hiccup scoured the burning forest, looking for any sign of Astrid. The other riders had joined him in the search, having taken off in different directions. Hiccup had taken the direction that he suspected Astrid would have taken. She had shown him many of her training sites, and her favorite spots.

Sure enough, he saw Stormfly diving in and out of a particular area, desperately trying to find her rider. Hiccup guided Toothless into the flames at a nearby spot. It felt as though his breath had been stolen away upon entering the inferno. Hiccup violently coughed, as his eyes teared up looking around through the smoke. Finally, he saw a prone figure in the distance.

"There!" Hiccup held on tight as Toothless sprinted towards Astrid's unconscious body. Hiccup rushed over to her when a burning tree branch fell. "No!" Hiccup shouted as he threw his body over hers, grunting as the tree branch pierced his armor, scraping his skin. Hiccup picked her up and hopped onto Toothless, shooting upwards into the sky and back to their huts.


	2. Recovery

Astrid rolled onto her side, letting out a groan. _Gods, what a nightmare! How did she-_

 _Oh._

She began to crack open her eyes when she felt a warmth in her left hand. She looked over and saw Hiccup sitting in a chair, head down. He looked like he had aged significantly since she last saw him. His charred armor, burn marks, and heavy bags under her eyes worried her. He hadn't gotten any sleep, had he? He had stayed right by her side for as long as he could.

Astrid wanted to be frustrated with him, but couldn't. Ugh! He was too sweet for his own good. Astrid didn't feel too good herself. Her body was covered in burn marks. She was lying with her stomach exposed, bandages wrapping most of her body.

She looked at him more closely. His eyes were swollen and his cheeks were stained with dried tears. It was strange; in all the years that had spent together, neither had ever seen the other cry. Perhaps they were fortunate. They usually got out of the messes before they escalated too far. Gods, how long had it been?..

She reached for Hiccup's face and stroked his cheek. Hiccup mumbled something incoherent, suddenly jolting to life when he realized Astrid was awake.

"Astrid! Oh, thank Thor, thank Thor…" Hiccup looked like was on the verge of tears.

"Hiccup, it's okay, it's okay, I'm fine." Astrid smiled weakly at her boyfriend's worry. Gods, he was so cute sometimes.

"How long was I out?"

"Oh, gee, I lose track, maybe a day and a half?"

"Oh…" Astrid paused and looked into Hiccup's eyes, struggling to speak.

"I thought I had lost you. I- I didn't know what I would do if…"

"Hey, hey, I'm okay now." Astrid interrupted. "Besides, why aren't you resting? You look exhausted." Astrid glanced at the noticeable gash on Hiccup's right arm, which was still holding her left hand. She squeezed his hand, looking up and smiling.

Hiccup opened his mouth to respond, and looked away, embarrassedly. "Fishlegs tried to get me to rest and bandaged up, but…I was too stubborn. I couldn't rest. Not knowing if you were going to be okay or not. You sure you're okay?"

Astrid gave a small smile, realizing how similar the two of them could be. She preferred to describe themselves as dedicated as opposed to stubborn, but simply sighed in relief that nothing more severe had happened to either of them. "Yes, I'm fine, Hiccup. You can stop worrying about me now."

Hiccup grinned. "Oh, I'll never stop worrying about you. That's just the way it is."

Astrid smiled. "Yeah, I guess that goes for me, too."

There was a brief silence. It seemed as though the world was letting out a sigh and calming down.

Astrid slowly sat up. "Well, first things first. You need to get some rest."

Hiccup smirked. "Oh, yeah, that's what I'm gonna do first." He leaned in and gently kissed Astrid. At first, Astrid was caught off guard, but sunk into the kiss, deepening it. The kiss lasted longer than was probably safe, and Hiccup pulled away, with a laugh. "Can't take away too much of your air!"

Astrid grinned, although she did feel a bit lightheaded after the kiss, her chest tightening in excitement. "If getting trapped in a forest fire earns me a kiss like that, maybe I should do that more often."

Hiccup exclaimed, exasperated, "No! Don't you ever do that to me again! I don't think I could take it…" His eyes began to water again.

Astrid leaned up and pecked his cheek. "It's gonna take a lot more than small fire to take me away."

"That was no small fire! Ugh! When I get my hands on the twins-"

"Don't worry about that right now, Hiccup! Now, promise me you'll bandage yourself up? It's not safe to leave burns unaddressed that long. Soon enough, I'll be the one worrying!"

Hiccup gave a little pout and leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I will. See you soon." He smiled, and walked away.

Astrid began to drift off. She was tired. But goodness, she wondered what she had ever done to deserve someone as caring as Hiccup…

 **Just a prologue with some nice fluff to get Hiccstrid in place and grounded. On to the real story...**


	3. Trapped

**Hope you enjoyed the fluff! *grins evilly***

A year had passed since the fire, but ever since, Hiccup and Astrid had grown even closer. Hiccup made sure to make every moment count. Truthfully, he was terrified by the incident. Their lives could be stolen away in a blink of an eye. He started taking Astrid on more and more dates, although most of these consisted of scouting around the Edge or patrolling along the beach. Every now and then, they would take a flight, just the two of them. In fact, it had become routine. Every other week, they would take a trip to a nice, secluded island east of the Edge.

It was Stormfly's turn to fly the couple. Hiccup rubbed Toothless's neck as he said goodbye. He hated to have to leave him behind, but it had become a rotation. Toothless had flown the pair last time.

"I'll see you soon, bud." Hiccup smiled as Toothless nuzzled him, as he turned to join Astrid on Stormfly.

As they took off, Astrid turned around a gave a smile to Hiccup, which he returned. They didn't get to do this often enough, did they? They intended to visit a nearby island and relax, enjoying each other's company.

Hiccup was already holding onto Astrid's waist, but he decided to dig his fingers into her stomach. He laughed when Astrid let out a yelp and proceeded to lightly punch him in the shoulder.

"Aww, is someone a little ticklish?" Hiccup smirked.

"Very funny, Hiccup. If I wasn't the one with the reigns, you'd _so_ get it." Astrid tried to sound serious but it didn't come off very convincingly.

"Well, while you are the one in control, I guess I'll just have to pass the time…" Hiccup smiled deviously, proceeding to tickle her further.

"No- wait, Hiccup, Ahhh! HAHAHA-" Astrid shrieked and reeled over, earning a jolt from Stormfly, evidently annoyed by her unruly passengers.

000

Viggo looked at his men's handiwork and smiled, satisfied. It was a convincing set-up. His hunters, the struggling dragons, and the fires. The poor couple was too predictable. He'd been tipped off by one of his men that the pair had been traveling to the island each week for their little dates.

It was almost a shame that they wouldn't have each other much longer. Viggo honestly thought they would've known better than to be so predictable. Ah, perhaps that's what love did to people. Clouded their thought processes. Lose control of themselves. He smiled. Their relationship only brought out their weaknesses. Hiccup would crumble if he lost any of those he held close. Astrid was too brash, not thinking before acting. Her hard-headedness would be her downfall.

Viggo felt a tinge of wistfulness. The riders and he shared many memories together. But today was a big day. He meant for this to be the finishing blow. Rather, the beginning of the end for the riders. Without Hiccup and Astrid, the dragon riders would be finished once and for all. Viggo took his position in hiding, waiting for the pair to appear.

000

Upon arriving at the island, the couple let out a sigh of relief. Many of their favorite memories were on this island. From the time they had gone cliff jumping to when Toothless had thrown the two off his back into the lake, they had had their fair share of fun dates.

Suddenly, a horrible shriek pierced through the air. They noticed smoke rose in the distance and the cries of injured dragons echoed across the island.

Hiccup glanced at Astrid. Astrid nodded in understanding, and the trio took off towards the smoke.

000

"There!" Hiccup pointed to the Deadly Nadders that were trapped in cages. Nearing the ground, Hiccup rolled off Stormfly and bolted towards the cages and freeing the dragons. Astrid and Stormfly wreaked havoc on the hunters nearby, dodging arrows and firing spikes.

As he ran, he couldn't help but feel as though something was off about the situation. The hunters seemed surprisingly calm. Sure, they were running about and yelling, but they didn't seem afraid. Almost like they thought everything was under control.

"Alright, that's the last of them!" After freeing the last Nadder, Hiccup ran towards a rendezvous point to get picked up. Astrid directed Stormfly downward; all of a sudden, a boulder came flying and slammed into Stormfly, throwing Astrid off. She rolled across the sand, somersaulting into a fighting position and drawing her ax. Stormfly screeched, tumbling into the nearby forest.

Hiccup sprinted to Astrid's position and drew Inferno. The pair stood back-to-back, encircled by hunters prepared to fight. More hunters hopped out from behind the bushes, each drawing a sword.

Hiccup lashed out at one of the hunters. The hunter dodged almost too slowly, astonished at Hiccup's speed. The hunters yelled and charged Hiccup. Hiccup parried their attacks and lunged out, countering attacks left and right. Astrid was doing the same with astonishing agility, knocking away hunters with her ax.

The duo maintained a good strategy in the fight, watching each other's backs. Suddenly, Hiccup heard a familiar dragon cry. _Stormfly._ He glanced back and saw a hunter kicking and abusing the Nadder. And Hiccup saw the fire in Astrid's eyes and wished the poor hunter luck that his end would be quick and painless. Astrid bolted toward the hunter, leaving Hiccup by himself, surrounded by hunters.

"Uh….Astrid!" Hiccup was getting nervous. Sure, he couldn't blame Astrid for protecting her dragon. But leaving her flank in battle was inadvisable. And something didn't feel right. The hunter was abusing the dragon almost as if he _wanted_ to provoke Astrid. But that would mean…. Hiccup became intensely alert.

"ASTRID! Stop!" Hiccup dodged attacks, breaking free and chasing after Astrid. She was now sprinting full speed toward her target, ax in hand. The hunter looked terrified at first, but then smiled. He waved and retreated as several hunters jumped out from their hiding spots in front of him. Astrid came to a halt to face the hunters and yelled in frustration, unaware that another masked hunter had emerged from behind her, ready to drive his sword through her.

Hiccup roared in anger and dove in front of the hunter, attempting to block with his own sword.

He gasped as he felt a sharp pain emerge from his abdomen. He looked down. _Blood_. His hearing grew cloudy; he thought he had heard Astrid scream, but he wasn't sure anymore. He looked down and saw the sword's hilt up against his stomach. He dropped his sword as he staggered and fell to his knees.

"Hmm, not my target. But _so_ predictable." A familiar voice observed in triumph.

Viggo viciously ripped his sword out out, kicking Hiccup to the ground with a grunt. Astrid crawled over to Hiccup's motionless body, cupping his face in her hands.

"No! Hiccup, look at me!" She felt her eyes begin to water. She grabbed her ax and stood ready to kill Viggo and any hunter who dared to fight her.

"Dear Astrid, do you _really_ want to take your chances? Wouldn't it be wiser to surrender and protect Hiccup from any more harm? I won't let these hunters hurt him. If you would allow me to." Viggo smiled.

Astrid grimaced. She hated to swallow defeat, but he was right. If she lost the fight, Hiccup would be all alone. She lowered her ax. Some of the hunters took it as a signal to go in for the kill.

"No!" Viggo stopped them. "Leave her alive. We'll need her to answer some questions for us." Viggo smirked and resumed to talk to his men.

Astrid glared at the man. She couldn't let them take Hiccup. But she needed help. She noticed a particular Nadder poke her head out. While the men were distracted, she motioned to Stormfly to get help. The Nadder understood and moved quietly to take off. She looked back at Hiccup and gasped as Hiccup's wound seemed to be turning _green_. She looked back at Viggo's sword; its bloodied tip was lined with a green substance. What had he done to Hiccup?

 **Now the fun begins...**


	4. Torture

**Thank you to everyone who's been reading! Now, let there be angst.**

"Ugh." Hiccup tried to sit up, but groaned at the pain in his abdomen.

"Woah, woah. Easy, Hiccup." Astrid gave him a weak smile. His head was rested in her lap.

"Wha- what happened?" Astrid's smile dissipated as she shifted her attention to their cell room.

"We got captured by Viggo. After you showed them a thing or two." Hiccup smirked as Astrid kissed his forehead gently.

"I- I should've warned you sooner. I sensed a trap, I could've saved you…." Hiccup clumsily pieced together his thoughts.

"You did save me! I was too quick to act. When I saw that hunter kick a helpless Nadder…." Astrid clenched her fists. "But then he stabbed you with a sword coated with some sort of poison." Astrid eyes softened shamefully. "It... it was my fault..."

Hiccup sat up, wincing at the pain in his stomach. He squeezed her hand.

"Astrid, it's not your fault. Viggo's set-up was too convincing. They would have had anyone fooled."

"We shouldn't have been so predictable, I should have known..." Her voice was barely audible, her thoughts drifting. A few moments passed before Hiccup broke the silence.

"They're going to try to find out where the Dragon Eye is." Hiccup's voice was grave and serious. "I remember where I hid it but...do you?" His voice was almost imperceptible to her.

"Hiccup-" Astrid began slowly. She _did_ know where it was, but she also knew where he was going with this.

"Please tell me you don't know." Hiccup's eyes were pleading with her. "If you don't know, they won't have any reason to hurt you. But if you do..." Hiccup was beginning to look unwell again.

Astrid wanted to disappear. She couldn't bear to tell him to truth. Hiccup had been very secretive about the location of the Dragon Eye. He believed it to be vitally important that only he know, to avoid the capability of hunters to torture the information out of the rest of the gang. But he had slipped up once on one of their dates. He had quickly asked if she heard what he said and she had denied hearing. But the thing was, she had heard him _perfectly_. She couldn't tell him the truth; she didn't want him to worry. They had enough to worry about as is.

"No, I don't know where it is." Astrid hated to lie. "But if you know, will it not matter?" Hiccup was about to respond, when a figure appeared at their cell.

"Sleep well?" Ryker appeared at the cell door. Astrid glared at him.

Hiccup gathered the strength to ask, "So what do you want, Ryker? I know you didn't come to give your condolences."

"Let's just say that Viggo has an….interrogation prepared. And he intends to get the information he wants." Ryker smirked.

"We aren't talking." Astrid scowled.

Ryker laughed. "Oh, yeah. We'll see about that."

000

"Again!"

Viggo smiled deviously. The girl couldn't hold the truth much longer. Soon enough, he would learn where his beloved Dragon Eye was.

Hiccup had claimed so confidently that the girl knew nothing of the Dragon Eye's location. Had Viggo only been speaking to Hiccup, he would have been fooled. But Viggo knew better. The girl's eyes screamed of insecurity; she had been lying. The choice of who to beat the truth out of had been easy enough.

Ryker delivered another kick to Hiccup's stomach, right where his injury was. Hiccup groaned and writhed in pain as Astrid protested and struggled against her chains.

When the "interrogation" had begun, Astrid had felt only rage. She had been furious with herself for not telling Hiccup the truth. Viggo seemed to have seen right through Hiccup's unintended lie. Even worse, he seemed to know that he had a fail safe in case Hiccup refused to speak. _Astrid_. She had kicked violently, trying to wriggle herself free of the chains.

But her anger had quickly dissipated into despair. She was holding in the truth at the cost of Hiccup's life.

Another kick. Hiccup cried out again, but refused to speak.

"Stop it!" Astrid helplessly cried out. How long had it been? Surely she's held out for a respectable amount of time, right?

"Please, it's only been 5 minutes." Viggo said, as if reading her mind. "But, the girl is right, Ryker. Let's stop with the kicking." Viggo grinned and pulled out a whip.

Ryker eagerly took the whip and proceeded to lash Hiccup's back. Hiccup gasped and whispered a helpless "No….please…."

Astrid couldn't take it much longer. She was already on her knees because of the chains but she didn't want to look any more pathetic. "Stop, please! This isn't fair! Please!" She futilely fought and struggled against the chains again as she felt the first tears come to her eyes.

Viggo smiled. "Do it again. Let us motivate her to talk a little more." Ryker kicked Hiccup onto his back and whipped his chest, ripping apart the fabric and leaving a deep, red gash. Hiccup's eyes began to water as he glanced over at Astrid, who was beginning to sob. He let out a soft whimper. He only hoped it didn't sound as pathetic as he probably looked.

"What do you mean, Viggo? She doesn't even know. Only I know..." Hiccup rasped.

Viggo smiled. "Ah, Hiccup. So gullible."

A confused expression passed over Hiccup's face. "Wha-"

Ryker lashed out again, Hiccup openly wailing at the wound.

Astrid had given up trying to choke back her sobs. Tears were freely falling down her face. She knew they had lost.

"Okay! I'll talk! Please, just stop hurting him."

Viggo smiled. "I'm delighted you've finally come to your senses, Astrid."

"No, Ast. Viggo, don't you dare touch her-" Hiccup gritted his teeth and tried to sit up, but was promptly knocked out by a kick to the face by Ryker. Astrid yelled out in anger.

"Now, brother. Let us not be any more cruel to Hiccup than Astrid's prolonged silence has forced." Viggo smiled cruelly. "I'm sure she has been through enough. Now, dear Astrid. Where?"

Astrid disclosed the location through gritted teeth. Viggo seemed to buy it, and nodded to Ryker. Ryker walked over and wrapped a hand around her throat, lifting her into the air, gasping.

"Now ya listen hear. My brother's got a good feeling about what you just said but I just want to make sure." Astrid gasped for air, nodding best she could. Her lungs seemed to burn. She tried to appear as convincing as possible.

"Yes..." She managed. Ryker looked back at Viggo, who shrugged apathetically, almost feigning distrust in Astrid's word. Ryker grinned and turned his head back, slamming Astrid to the ground, directly onto her right arm. She cried out in pain, grimacing and glancing at her arm before almost throwing up. It was _not_ supposed to bend like that.

"You still sure?" Ryker grinned menacingly, kicking Astrid onto her back. Astrid gritted her teeth and choked back a sob as she managed a timid nod. Viggo put a hand on his brother's shoulder, motioning that the interrogation had come to a close. Ryker frowned, almost as though he hadn't had enough fun.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Astrid. It really has meant a lot and saved my brother and I a lot of grief. I do wish I could say the same for you and Hiccup."

Astrid scowled at the man through her tears. She hated herself for giving in and showing weakness, and yet she hated herself for not giving in sooner to protect Hiccup. It was a lose-lose situation and only Viggo could win.

 **Too much? Or too little? Mwahahaha. Let me know what you think!**


	5. Reconciliation

**I hope you've enjoyed so far! On with the story...**

Hiccup was unconscious….again. He looked worse. _Much worse._ His shirt was in tatters, so the wound was fully visible. His wound had turned darker hue of green; the wound had deepened significantly. Astrid shivered at the thought of her own skin when she had had the Scourge of Odin.

 _At what cost?_ Astrid knew she couldn't protect both Hiccup and the Dragon Eye, but she had failed to protect either. She was fairly certain her arm was broken from the interrogation. She only hoped that the rest of the riders would be safe, hopefully away from the Edge when Viggo's men arrived.

Hiccup began to stir in Astrid's lap again. His grimace had faded slightly; he almost looked peaceful. Astrid couldn't help but feel her heart flutter.

Astrid looked down a felt a few mute tears escape her eyes again. Gods, since when did she cry? Since she met Hiccup. She had never cared so deeply for her friends before. Of course, she had met Stormfly and Heather, two of her closest friends. She even cared and respected the twins, Fishlegs, and even Snotlout.

Hiccup had shown her what it meant to really be there for others; she had never seen anyone as brave or as hard-headed as him, besides perhaps herself. More than that, he was one of the few people she felt comfortable opening up to. They talked about practically everything - their fascinations with the world, their petty annoyances, their deepest insecurities. He had always been there for her. And she had always been there for him.

They had had their fair share of dangerous encounters. Hiccup would get captured, or Astrid would, some near-death experiences. They had always had a fail safe.

But now? There was no fail safe, no backup plan. Viggo had fooled them when they were their most vulnerable on their weekly dates.

Of course, Astrid felt stronger alongside Hiccup, stronger than she ever could have been alone. But, they knew that they were also weaker, more vulnerable to their enemies. They could easily be taken advantage of; Viggo figured that out quickly. She had never felt weaker, more helpless when Hiccup was being tortured. She had felt so impossibly small.

"Oh, gods. Ast-" Hiccup awoke suddenly, jolting upwards. His eyes widened when he remembered. The interrogation. _The Dragon Eye_. He glanced up at Astrid. Her eyes were puffy, dried tear stains lining her cheeks. She had been crying. He only remembered seeing her cry once before, and she had jokingly-not-so-jokingly threatened him not to tell anyone. "Did you tell them?"

Astrid nodded, almost imperceptibly. Hiccup paused and his facial expression softened.

"I'm sorry, Hiccup. I didn't know what- I couldn't protect- I'm sorry." Astrid looked down and muttered some more apologies, crestfallen and on the verge of tears.

"It's not your fault, Astrid." Hiccup gritted his teeth as he sat up slowly, taking Astrid's hands in his.

"Yes, it is!" Astrid persisted. "I- I messed up. I should've told you the truth and just confessed. It would have saved you from the pain."

Astrid barely lifted her head up, expecting to see disappointment, but his eyes only resonated understanding and began to well up with tears. He hugged her warmly; she felt him wince when her arm brushed against his abdomen.

They stayed that way for a while, in each other's arms, until Hiccup broke the silence.

"I- I'm sorry, too….I shouldn't have held in the truth like that. I only made it harder on myself. On….you." Hiccup's voice sounded so small. He pulled back from the hug, looking down shamefully. "I'm sorry, Astrid. I'm so, so sorry." He tightened the hug. Astrid sighed, nodding imperceptibly.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, there was a break in the storm, the calm before the storm.

000

Viggo stood outside their cell when Astrid woke up in the morning. Hiccup was still fast asleep.

"Sleep well?" The man smirked at Astrid's scowl. "No matter, we have arrived at our destination. But before we proceed, I have a proposal for the two of you, one that I think you will be compelled to accept." He grinned.

He unveiled a map to Astrid. "I am not the evil supervillain you have been led to believe, Astrid. I am simply a businessman, a savvy one at that. I recognize that our petty fights are bad for business. So I am willing to give you an offer, one that will restore peace to your lives." He pointed to a horizontal line on the map. "North of this line, my men and I will be free to roam and do business. South of this line, no dragons will ever fall into one of our traps again. We will never have to fight again." Viggo signed the map, and offered her a pen.

Astrid bared her teeth. A few weeks ago, she would have been entirely opposed. She loved dragons and would fight to protect them. But in light of recent events, she wasn't so sure. The fighting had put Hiccup's life in danger. Putting herself in danger was a calculated risk. But Hiccup's life? Was it worth it?

"And if I deny your offer?" Astrid asked curiously.

"Well, let's just say that there will be a 0% chance for you two to escape this boat alive." Viggo smiled cruelly.

"And if I agree?"

"Then you have a chance to live to another day." Viggo was going to greatly enjoy the game he was about to force her to play. "Come now, are you really going to sacrifice all the years you have ahead of you? All the wonders that life has to offer?"

Astrid scowled. She hated to agree to the terms, but she was in no position to renegotiate. Even if she and Hiccup sacrificed themselves, Viggo would have the upper hand. It would be the same. At least by giving in she could have a chance to fight another day. She snatched the pen through the bars and signed the map.

"Excellent, I am grateful for your cooperation." Astrid glared at him.

Astrid had had enough. "Okay Viggo, maybe you can answer this for me. What was in that poison on your blade?" She caught a glimpse of Hiccup's writhing body out of the corner of her eye.

Viggo smiled sinisterly. "Oh that? It's nothing really."

Astrid grew impatient. "Would so-called nothing cause excruciating pain?" She stood up clutching her arm and stood face-to-face with Viggo through the bars.

Viggo smirked. "Fine, if you must know, it is a disease that is actually quite rare in this archipelago. In fact, it is much more of a legend around here, although I assure you it is a very real disease indeed. It actually originates from a land far away in the East - quite a high price to acquire it from nearby traders." Astrid's heart began to sink. "You personally won't have to worry too much; it's not contagious unless it is injected directly to the bloodstream. And I sadly used all that I had on Hiccup, although he was not my intended target." Viggo's look was smug, reminiscing at how he had gutted Hiccup. "You might know it as the Jade Death?"

Astrid's glare dissolved to disbelief. _The Jade Death_. It was a thing of legend she had only heard about in bits and pieces, its pain claimed to be worse pain than Thor himself could cause a Viking. It seemed impossible to be real, as victims were claimed to take their own lives to escape the intense pain. Astrid could have been sure it was only a tall tale. But, if Hiccup were to take his own life... Oh, Thor...

"Is there a cure?" Astrid asked, trying to stay calm.

Viggo only laughed. "Oh, Astrid. I have no knowledge of a cure. Perhaps you will be able to let me know in the future." Viggo raised an eyebrow. Astrid felt her skin go pale.

He continued, "Anyhow, my hunters and I must be on our way."

Astrid was jolted back to reality and grabbed the bars of the cell. "And us?"

Viggo turned and smiled. "You'll be playing a game. The mission? Escape this burning ship. Use your wits and survive or die trying. The catch? You, Astrid Hofferson, must find a way without dear Hiccup's help." And with that, Viggo laughed and continued up the stairs to the deck. "Set it on fire!" Viggo yelled to his men, and Astrid watched as flames wrapped around the corners of the deck opening.

Astrid stepped back, panicking. What could she do? This was Hiccup's thing - playing with Viggo's mind games. She looked at Hiccup's limp form. His skin tone was beginning to fade to a ghoulish green. They _had_ to get out of here, fast.

What could she use though? There were no blades, no knives, no picks, no explosives. Unless…. Astrid rushed to examine Hiccup's belt. Hiccup had recently devised a hidden tube of Monstrous Nightmare gel into his belt. She remembered the day he told her. He had been so giddy with excitement - such a dork. The corners of her lips tugged upwards.

Astrid slipped off the belt and poured the Nightmare gel carefully onto the cell's outer wall. She glanced at the flames, gradually growing closer. It was now or never. She grabbed a plank of wood and caught a small flame, promptly moving to set off the gel. A hole formed in the wall, offering a view of the open sea. Astrid delicately lifted Hiccup up with her good arm, nudging him to wake up.

"Hiccup? Wake up, please. W-we gotta go."

Hiccup opened his eyes in a daze, caught a glimpse of the raging fire, and was wide awake. "Oh gods, yeah, let's get out of here." He winced at the pain in his abdomen.

"You first." Astrid motioned to a floating plank of wood outside the hole in the wall.

Hiccup nodded. He moved as quickly as he could, albeit fairly slowly. Eventually, he was through and landed in the water with a splash.

Astrid followed behind. The cell was beginning to become engulfed in flames. She landed in the water with a grunt, grabbing another wood plank to float on. The ship was now sinking. She scanned the nearby area, noticing a ship racing away from them. She guessed that ship housed Viggo and his hunters. She looked to her left and was relieved to see an island. Hiccup followed her gaze and nodded in agreement. The pair began to swim toward the island, eagerly awaiting much needed rest.

000

Viggo was impressed. He watched as the young couple escaped the burning ship. Perhaps Astrid would also make a worthy adversary. Hiccup had evidently rubbed off on her. He intended to honor their agreement. For now…. Who knew if Hiccup lived long enough to see his takeover of the northern archipelago? Eventually, he would make his way south when the agreement became outdated. But for now, he was relieved. Finally, after years of fighting, there was a ceasefire. Now that, was good for business.

000

Taking their time and letting the waves do most of the work, Astrid and Hiccup finally waded ashore the small island. Astrid sighed in relief; they were finally free. She smiled and glanced at Hiccup, and her smile quickly faded. Hiccup looked exhausted. The swim had evidently weakened him.

"Hiccup? You need to rest. We can set up camp here."

"Y-yeah. I- I'll do that." Hiccup walked a little too quickly, losing his balance.

"Hiccup!" Astrid moved to offer support, which Hiccup gladly accepted. He was _so_ tired. She slowly laid him down and sat next to him, letting him rest his head on her lap.

"Mm, comfy." Hiccup muttered.

"You get some rest. The others should get here soon." Stormfly had her scent; she would be able to lead the other riders to their location. But Hiccup's health was rapidly deteriorating. _Please hurry,_ she thought. Once they got back to Berk, hopefully Gothi would know more. But for now, they really had no idea what they were up against.

 **Let me know what you think and thanks for reading!**


	6. Healing

**Thank you for your reviews! Hope you've enjoyed the story so far!**

 **Note: For the sake of story mechanics, Toothless can fly on his own in this story. Think of him using the tail Hiccup made him in _Gift of the Night Fury._**

 _ **Edit: Fixed some wording as wisely noticed and suggested by Dragon.21622!**_

The sun was beginning to set. Several hours had passed since they had made it to shore. Astrid had nearly dozed off a few times but she had managed to stay awake by counting the clouds in the sky. Suddenly, she heard a familiar screech in the distance.

"Stormfly!" Astrid felt a surge of joy, the first in what had felt like an eternity. The Nadder eagerly landed and nuzzled her rider.

Toothless wasn't far behind, along with the rest of the gang. It would've been a joyous reunion for all of them, had it not been for Hiccup's clear injuries. Toothless rushed to Hiccup, only to find that his rider wasn't conscious to greet him. Toothless let out a distraught whine.

"What happened?" Fishlegs asked as he glanced at Hiccup's wound.

"Viggo." Astrid replied curtly. "We need to get him to Gothi. Viggo, h-he poisoned him." Astrid carefully lifted Hiccup onto Stormfly.

"Poison? What poison?" Snotlout asked incredulously.

Astrid felt a nausea overtake her. Was it true? Did Viggo really have access to…. "The Jade Death."

The riders fell silent in disbelief. They all had only heard stories of it. They only had a vague idea of its symptoms, certainly no idea of a cure.

Astrid leaned over a patted Toothless's head. "We're gonna get help, Toothless. Hiccup will be okay." She gave as convincing a smile as she could manage, but Toothless huffed and whined again. It was disheartening to see him like this. Fishlegs finally piped up. "Astrid, if Hiccup's been poisoned, we can't let him stay asleep. It's too risky. He might not wake up once we get there." He gulped.

Astrid just about facepalmed. She should've realized that sooner. She cursed and scolded herself How many naps had he already taken? "Hiccup?" Astrid nudged Hiccup, hoping he wasn't too deeply asleep.

Hiccup opened his eyes. "Wh-what?"

"I'm sorry, but you have to stay awake. It's too risky for you to fall asleep right now." Astrid felt awful asking someone who was already exhausted to stay awake, but she'd rather be safe than sorry.

Hiccup was ready to protest, but something in Astrid's eyes told him that she was right. If he fell asleep now, he might not wake up again.

Hiccup tried to climb onto Toothless, but lost his balance and tumbled into the sand. Toothless whined.

Astrid helped Hiccup up, sheepishly suggesting, "Maybe you should ride with me, so there's no risk of you falling off your dragon."

"Yeah, er.. Sounds like a good idea." Hiccup patted Toothless and gave a weak smile. "Next time, bud. Promise."

The couple was situated on Stormfly, and the riders took off, embarking on their long journey.

000

The riders finally arrived in Berk. Astrid let out a sigh of relief, glad that nothing had interfered or delayed them. She looked back at Hiccup, hoping he was still with her. Her heart sank when she saw him; he was grimacing, his face contorted in pain. It hadn't been easy to keep him awake. Astrid had never felt so talkative in her life. She just needed to hear a response from him, know that he was conscious.

Stormfly knew exactly where to go, landing the pair right outside the healer's hut. Toothless was right behind.

Astrid called out, "Snotlout, Ruff, Tuff, get the chief. Tell him what happened. Fishlegs, get Gothi out of her hut." Astrid gently helped Hiccup off of Stormfly, wincing as he stumbled onto the ground.

Gothi emerged from her hut and gestured for them to enter. She sat Hiccup down and examined his wounds. He had gotten a few cuts and bruises from the interrogation, but they were nothing compared to the sword wound. Astrid couldn't help but stare at the gash; it was still a horrific green.

Gothi looked stunned and turned to Astrid, requesting more information. Astrid gulped and explained the whole story, including Viggo's claims of the poison.

Upon hearing the name of the poison, Gothi took a step back in disbelief.

"The Jade Death?!" Stoick's voice boomed as he walked into the hut, Gobber close behind. He had gotten the message from the twins and Snotlout. "That Viggo has the nerve to poison MY SON!"

Gothi began to scribble in the sand. Gobber took a look. "Aye, she says that she know of no cure for the Jade Death…." Gobber sounded as though he couldn't believe himself. "She can help heal the actual sword wound. As for the poison…." Gobber paused. "From what she knows, its symptoms are only painful, not fatal. They are only fatal if the victim lacks the will to fight and survive." Gothi stopped scribbling abruptly. "It was a thing of legend, as far as the archipelago was concerned."

Astrid felt frustrated but also defeated. _No known cure?_ Gothi always knew what to do. Astrid was still grateful for Gothi when she restored her sight after being blinded by lightning.

Stoick spoke sternly. "There must be a cure. How else has this disease not spread across the world?"

Gothi closed her eyes, as if recalling a horrible memory. She began to scribble. Gobber translated, "It hasn't spread because it's not contagious except by injection. Rumor has it that it was created as a form of torture and punishment in a faraway land. A man-made poison. It's also quite self-containing. Those who were infected…." Gobber gulped. "...killed themselves out of pain." Hiccup flinched, and Astrid grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly.

Gothi motioned for Hiccup to move to a table, and gestured for Astrid and Fishlegs assistance. She shooed Stoick and Gobber out, annoyed by the lack of space in her small hut. She scribbled a few notes, and Fishlegs nodded in understanding. "We need to first clean the wound out so that we can stitch it up. We're going to wash it out first and apply ointment. Hiccup, it's going to sting so you're going to try to resist. Astrid and I are going to hold you down while Gothi cleans the wound."

Hiccup nodded weakly and proceeded to lie on his back. Fishlegs held down his torso. Astrid positioned herself with her hands on Hiccup's shoulders. She looked down and gave a small smile. "I'm right here." Gothi stuffed a piece of leather into Hiccup's mouth. Fishlegs grimaced and said, "You're gonna want something to bite into." Hiccup nodded appreciatively.

Gothi began to clean the wound. Hiccup let out a moan, writhing in pain. Fishlegs immediately pinned down Hiccup's waist and legs. Astrid shifted her weight, pinning down Hiccup's arms while muttering words of encouragement into his ear. It was unbearable for Astrid to look at Hiccup; his face was hideously contorted and his eyes were squeezed shut. "Please….stop…." he repeatedly mumbled through the leather. It seemed as though an eternity had passed before Gothi finally finished cleaning and stitching the wound.

Once the wound was closed, Hiccup let out a sigh of relief, passed out.

"Can he fall asleep?" Astrid asked worriedly.

Gothi nodded. Fishlegs added, "Now that the wound is cleaned and sealed, he isn't at risk for infection like before." Astrid sighed, her adrenaline rush clearly weakening. A sharp pain went through her right arm. She cried out as she gripped her arm. She had almost forgotten that it was broken.

"Can you fix a broken arm?" Astrid asked sheepishly.

Gothi's eyes widened, and whacked Astrid's good arm in frustration, scolding her for having ignored her own injuries. Fishlegs squeaked, "You broke your arm and didn't say anything?!"

Astrid nodded, embarrassed. Had Hiccup been awake, he would've scolded her, too. "Heh. Too busy worrying about Hiccup?" Astrid probed if it was an appropriate excuse.

Gothi shook her head, and Astrid could have sworn the elder smiled in amusement. Fishlegs grinned cautiously. "Haha. Right. Well, Gothi should be able to fix you up."

Gothi nodded and motioned for Astrid to sit on a bench next to the table Hiccup had passed out on. Gothi went to work right away.

The pain wasn't nearly as bad as what Hiccup had undergone, but it wasn't a great feeling. As Gothi wrapped bandages around her arm, Astrid couldn't help but wonder how different things would be now that she had signed Viggo's treaty. She grunted in frustration at how she had been outsmarted. She pushed the thought aside. She was just thankful that they were both alive. They had a trying journey ahead of them, but in the meantime, she was just thankful that they could live to see another day.

 **No cliffhanger? Surprising...**

 **My schedule will be getting a lot busier with work, but no worries, I will continue to update, although it may become sporadic...**

 **Your reviews mean a lot to me, and really help my motivation to keep writing! Would love to know what you think!**


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